Huxian Peasant Paintings

Huxian is the birthplace of peasant paintings and remains a prominent town for rising peasant artists. Huxian is located forty minutes southwest of Xian and has a population of fifty thousand people, two thousand of which are classed as professional painters.

Peasant paintings originated in Huxian in 1950 and became dominant modern folk art through the years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). The County Communist Party Committee financially supported the growth of art work by peasants after noticing the artistic potential of workers in Huxian. Peasant workers painted their progress on construction sites to motivate and inspire themselves. Art classes by professional painters were organized in Huxian to improve and nurture the talents of the peasants.

During the Cultural Revolution, inspirational peasant paintings from Huxian were used to show the world the artistic potential of workers. Themes ranged from political affairs to inspiring the masses to support the new reforms. Many paintings were sent abroad as representations of the new emerging art of China.

In modern times, the themes of peasant paintings reflect ordinary life in rural areas. Simplistic subjects are mostly used such as harvesting, festivals, animals, family and myths. Huxian paintings are distinguishable by their use of bright red and green colours and primitive exaggerated images.

In 1976, The Huxian Farmer’s Painting Exhibition Hall was built to exhibit the famous works of the town. It is divided into eight sections according to the subject of the painting. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Huxian to view the bold and imaginative works of the local peasants.

Huxian peasant paintings have received much praise and admiration from the international artistic world over the past forty years. Approximately 1500 paintings have been published in Chinese national periodicals and four hundred and twenty five paintings have received awards within domestic art exhibitions. Over 4500 peasant paintings have been invited to be displayed in exhibitions in over forty eight different countries. Many foreign tourists and art collectors have contributed to the enduring popularity of these Huxian paintings with over 18,700 paintings sold overseas.

Huxian was named “The County of Painting” by the Ministry of Culture in 1988. The town’s unique primitive painting style has led to it being known throughout China and abroad. More support from the Chinese state is being given to developing the styles and techniques of peasant artists. Peasant paintings are now an enriched part of folk art and its popularity continues to grow.